optional: food coloring (if you want to make colored dough, add the food coloring to the water before you mix it in.)

Making Clay

In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda and water. Stir over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to thicken. When it look like smooth, mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the ball of the dough into a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until it is cool. When it is cool, knead it on a smooth surface until smooth and silky. Add more cornstarch if it feels too sticky and/or sticks to the surface.

To Bake Them:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out clay to 1/4 inch thick on a silicone mat lightly dusted with cornstarch. (I rolled the dough out on my granite countertops and it worked fine.) Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the prepared baking sheet. You can use a straw to make a hole at the top of the ornaments so you can add ribbon later to hang it. We used a bamboo skewer. Place them in the over for about an hour, *turning them over halfway through cooking.* (I strongly suggest making the dough at least 1/4" thick but, in doing so I would add to the baking time 8-15 minutes on each side but keep an eye on the shapes to make sure they are not cracking or browning.)